‘Putin really let me down’: Trump says he thought war in Ukraine would be ‘easy to solve’

Hopes of a potential peace deal have not materialised following a summit held between Putin and Mr Trump in Alaska last month, during which Mr Trump urged the Russian president to hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Since then, Mr Trump’s various deadlines and ultimatums for the Russian leader to engage with proposals have passed without obvious consequences.

“I thought this war would be one of the easiest to solve because of my relationship with Putin. But he has really let me down,” Mr Trump told reporters. “I mean, frankly, Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers. But, yeah, he’s let me down.”

Mr Trump said that Putin would “drop out” of the war if the price of oil decreased, as he appealed to European countries to halt purchasing energy from Russia. “If the oil prices come down, then Russia will settle.”

He went on to suggest that Putin had started the war in February 2022 because “he didn’t respect the leadership of the United States” at the time, referring to former president Joe Biden.

“If I were president, it would have never happened, and it didn’t happen for four years. People, most people, agree. It didn’t happen, nor was it close to happening,” he said.

“I spoke to President Putin about Ukraine, it was the apple of his eye. I’ve said that many times, it was, but he would have never done what he did, except that he didn’t respect the leadership of the US.”

Moscow has launched thousands of drones and powerful glide bombs, as well as hundreds of missiles, at targets inside Ukraine over the past fortnight. Ukraine has responded by striking Russia’s energy facilities.

Elsewhere, Sir Keir claimed that Europe has been “stepping up to the plate” in the past few months over increasing support for Ukraine.

“We have built the coalition of the willing with British leadership and French leadership, stepping up with military planning in the seas, in the sky, on the ground and ramping up what we do with the Ukrainians themselves,” he said.

Last week, Mr Trump said he was ready for major sanctions on Moscow – but only when Nato gives up the “shocking” purchasing of Russian oil.

He wrote on Truth Social: “As you know, NATO’S commitment to WIN has been far less than 100%, and the purchase of Russian Oil, by some, has been shocking! It greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia. Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when?”